Vehicle-wheel.



S. C. HATFIELD. VEHICLE WHEEL.

.APPLIOATION FILED 11111.20, 1911.

Patented Dec. 81, 1912.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

provcments lin Yehicle-ll'heels.

`-UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. .,f/ SCHUYLER c. HATFIELD. or BALTIMOREMARYLAND, AssIG'Non or ONE-Halls .To

- GEORGE W, SMITH, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

To tll 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. Scmrnea Cf. Hau FIELD, a citizen of the l'nited States, residing at Baltiinore, in the l"tate of Maryland. have invented certain new and useful Imof which the following is a specification.

This'invention relates to improvements in vehicle wheels and particularly 'to that class of wheels having rubber tires with a cushioning means interposed between the 'tire and thehub.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of pneumatic cushioning means about the hub`of a wheel -to absorb the shocks produced at the rim or tire and to protect the said pneumatic means against damage that so often results where the cushion i s at the rim.

The.accompanying drawings illustrate the invention wherein- Figure 1, is aside elevation of a'wheel constructed in accordance with the invention `with parts broken away about the hub to show the construction thereof., Fig. 2, is a yvertical sectionall elevation of the v`he'el,-

the section' being taken on the line 2 2 .of

Fig, l. Fig. 3,'is an enlarged sectional detail through the hub `and the wheel parts eabout the same/,#this section being taken on the line 3-'3 of Fig. 1. Fig. l, is across'- `sectional detail through the tire proper and the parts for securing the same in placerthe section being' taken ontth'e line otV Fig. 1-. Fig. 5, shows a portionv of the tire engaging ring 1n perspectivev Fig. 6 1s a sectional plan View of the spoke sockets and the plates for holdin;l the same in place,

` and-Fig. t

and the inner end ofthe stationary bearingv is a detail of the inner hub collar sleere which engages the collar.

Referring to. the drawings by "numerals, 1,

ldesignates the axle shaft and,2, the sleeve portion at the outer end of the casing, 3,

that incloses theaxle sliaftwvliich is Well known in the art. The sleeve, 2, carries' a rigid collar, 1l, at the inner side of the wheel which collar is provided withl a` series of sockets, 5, and a bearing sleeve, 6, slips over the outer end of the sleeve, 2, antlhas a plurality of projecting lugs, 7, vat its inner end which enter thesockets, `5, in the-collar and thus lock the bearing sleeve againstrotation. A reinforce collar, 8, isl p1/ov1ded}on Specification of Letters Patent. .Application tiled April 20, 1911. Serial No. 622,206.

Patented pag.131, 1912.

the interior and atthe end of the sleeve, 2, 55

collars and also encircling the bearing sleeve are a plurality of bearing collars, v11, which are so spacedas to form annular channels for the reception of suitable rollers, 12. A spacing. collar, 13, .also encirclingthe bear- 111g sleeve, G, serves to separate the two inner- 65 hearing collars, 11.

-The hub proper comprises an annular shell, 1l, which encircles the rollers, 12, and

also the collars 5), and, 10, and has its inner end confronting the rigid collar, 4, on 7'0 lthe `casing while its outer'end has aseries of edge notches, 15, which intermesh with like edge notches, 1G, 1n a coupling' member, 17.

'This coupling member has the forinof a cap and fits over the outer end of the axle shaft,

1, with which it is rigidly secured by means of a squared or angular port-ion, 18, on the axle and a' like-shaped opening in the Vca-p. Nuts, 19, and, Q0, also lock the .capcoupling in place on the end'of the axle shaft. A 80 cup-shaped washer plate, 21, is placed on the inside of the cap coupling and has its lenge portion, 22, projecting over the engaged edge. notches, 15, and, 16.

Two spaced-apart ring plates, 23, encircle 85 the-,annular shell, 14, of the hub proper and are held inspaced-apart posit-ion by means of la circular channel plate, 24,-the'two being rigidly connected by means of suitable bolts, :25.* By referring particularly to Fig. 904

3 of the drawings it will be seen that, the f channel plate, 24, is rigidly` secured to the .annular shell, 14:, of the hub by means of bolts, 26, and consequently'must turn therewith. It Will also be seen by reference to said Fig. 3, thatthe ringl plates, 23, are of a considerably greater diameter than the spacing channel plate and project beyond a circular shell, 27, that encircles and rests;

upon the liang'esof the channel plate, 24;. 100l A plurality of spacer blocks, 2S, are pro- -vided at intervals about the circular shell, I

27, which blocks extend crossw/ise' of the shell and serve to trace the outer rim por- -tions of the ring plates, 23,-the blocks "be-',105 ing secured at opposite ends to the -r1ng` plates by means ofsuitable screws, 29,

Bolts, 30, also extend through the ring gether atintervals between adjacent spacer i blocks.

In carrying out my invention I locate the pneumatic cushion about the outer side lof the spacer blocks, QS, and the bolts, 30, and in order to provide a suitable bearing surface or support for said cushion, which has theV form of apneumatic tube, 31, I interpose a central bearing ring, 3Q, between the inner circumference of the said -tube and the blocks and bolts. This bearing ring,

is preferably metal and'has position between two non-metallic ring plates, 33, whose outer surfaces are concaved so as to form an annular channel with themetal bearing ring, in which the inner circumference of the pneumatic tube may seat. Itwill thus be understood that the non-metallic ring plates, 33, have position between the side ring plates, 23.

At the out-er side vthe wheel has a flat cover` plate, 34, with a central circular opening, 35, through which the outer end of the hub and the coupling member. project, and for purposes of strengthening the provided with a plurality of ribs, 36, which radiate from the central opening. The inner side of the wheel also has a cover plate, 37, and this latter plate has a central opening, 38, so that it may encircle the inner end of the hub. This inner plate may be pro- --vided with a laterally-extending circumferential flange, 39, that may be utilized as a drum for a brake band, but it is obvious that ,if thel wheel is not a driving wheel the flange would be omitted. f

By reference to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be noted that the bolts, 30, that extend through the'ring plates, 23, also project through suitable perforations cover plates, 34, and, 37, and thus hold the latter clamped against the sides of the ring plates, 23, At the outer side ofthe pneumatic tube 'I provide another pair of nonmetallic'ring plates, 40, with a metallic bearing ring, 41, between the two so as to form fa channel for the outer side of the tube to bear. against and said plates are sustained from spacer blocks, 42,' that are interposed between two side ring plates, 43, to which they are secured by suitable screws, 44. A continuous metal. ring, 45, extends around the spacer blocks, 42, and between the ring plates, 43, and said metal ring forms a support for the inner ends of tapered spoke sockets, 46, as clearly seen in Fig. 2.' The spoke sockets, 46, have enlarged inner ends and smaller outer ends and it is the enlarged l ends that seat against the ring, 45. In order to secure these sockets in place and prevent them from shifting laterally on the ring, 45, `I provide a series of clamping plates, 47, @which are vinterposed between adjacent sock- 'ets, ,'and which have. a semi-circular notch,

plate the same is' in the outer and inner` l 48, in each' end that l and receives one half of the socket at the l side of it. The walls, 49 of these clamping plates are beveled to conform to the taper. j of the sockets so that when the ends of two clamping plates engage the same socket theyv j will entirely encircle the larger end thereof and prevent the latter from withdrawing therefrom.' Suitable bolt-s, 50, pass through 'each Iclamping plate and also through the ring, 45, and screw intov the spacer blocks, 42, wliereby to hold the clamping plates in krigid position about the socltetsn It is Atb be understood that there is no connection between the parts about the outer side of the tube, 31, and the outer or inner cover plates, 34, and, 3T, and that said parts have a lsl'ding movement between said two cover la es.

'The spo tes, 51, have their inner ends seated in and secured to the sockets, 46, and their outer ends are suitably secured in a rim, 52. A' metal tire plate, 53, encircles the rim and is 54, and said plate is wider than and projects over the opposite side edges of the rim, as clearly seen in Fig. 4. An angle plate, is provided on the outer and opposite edges of the tire plate and is held thereon by neans of bolts, 56; that pass therethrough and also through the tire plate. The tire `proper, 5T, is preferably of solid rubber and encircles the plate,55, and the opposite side .edges thereof are seated against the angle plates, 55, which receive the lateral strains that are put upon the tire. Tov hold the outer rubber tire against the inner metal tire I provide curved side plates, 58,'-which extend over theouter surface and at ,opposite sides of the t-ire and said plates are provided with arms, arms have inturned slotted extensions, 60, that project over the inner face of the metal tire andthe slots of which permit the bolt-s, 56, to pass therethrough. An angle plate, 61, is provided at the sidev of the rim and has one face seated against the slotted yeX- tension, 60, of the arm, 59, so that the threaded end of the bolt, 56, may be passed through a perforation in the angle plate. A. nut,62, on the bolt, 56, draws the angle plate close against the extension, 60, and clamps the same against the metal tire plate, 53, thus holding the side plates, 58, in position.

By means of the construction above de scribed the weight placed on the outer tire, 57, will be transferred through the spokes, i 51, to the ring, 45,', and from the latter through spacer-blocks, 42, to plates,- 40. The plates, 40, will then deliver the weight onto -V the vpneunfiatic tube 31, on which will be distri luted throughout its entire cirloular'n'area becausethe compression of the ,tube ations-,point 'will cause aslight snugly tits aroundv secured thereto by means of bolts,

59, vat intervals which Y iit lll

' aoaaa'oo tion at all other points andA thus the strain will not be all applied to any particular point of the tube.

. .Inflation of the tube, 31, is accomplished A vehicle wheel having a portionA with an inner channeled bearing encircling the hub; means for rigidly connecting'the channeled bearing and hub; a coverplate 1 at each sidefof the channeledbea'ring; two

" plate one ring `plate being ,larger than and.-

ring plates at the innerside of each A`cover encircling'the* other ring, plate 'and each smaller rin plate being secured to the linner. gbea an louter channeled channeled ring; y bearing carried by the larger of the said two ring plates; apneumatic tube between said channeled bearin 'spokesradiating from the outer'channe ed bearing; a rim at' the outer ends of the spokesl and a tire about the 2. A vehiclewheel'having a` hub portion 'with two annular spaced-apart cover platesl encircling the hub; bolts rigidly connecting ythe said two cover'pl'ates; two ring lates 3d..

eachcoverplate and the larger ring plate at each side encirclin `the smaller ring 'plate; an inner channeleV bearing' secured to and carried between the .two smaller ring plates; an outer-"channeled bearing `secured to and carried'between the two larger ring' plates; a pneumatiojlggjtube seated'in thel two channeled bearings ;"""`-.".a continuous metal plate encircling the v.outer channeled bearing and also locatedbetween the. two larger ring plates; spok'e'sradiating from the continuous metal .plate ga-x'irn at the 'outer ends of the spokesl and a tire about-said rim.

3. 'A vehicle wheel having a hub portion andan inner channeled bearing extending' around and rigidly connected to the hub;. a

cover late atieach side of the inner c han- .neleclv ring' and ofia` greater diameter than the 1atter,i a neumatic tube encircling the .inner channe ed bearing; a movable rint'galplate at the side of each cover plate, a me ,'band .encircling the outer channeled bearing; tapered spoke sockets seated againstsaid metal band; clamp plates also seated against the metal band and havingl Vsemi-circular notches in its ends to engage the'tapered spoke sockets; means for securing the clamp plates to the metal .'band; spokes radiating from the sockets; a-rim at the outer' endsof the spokes and a tire about,

' the rim.

In testimon whereof I aix my signature 'in presenceo -two Witnesses.4 of di'erent diameters at'the inner side of SCHUYLER o. HATFIELD. W itnessesi:

CHARLES B; MANN, Jr., G. FERD. Voor. 

